Pirelli develops F1 tyres for the road

Pirelli develops F1 tyres for the road

Formula One represents the pinnacle of motorsport, attracting the world's best teams and drivers to put technology to the test.

But grand prix cars are unattainable to mortal drivers, and you need to be a millionaire to get hold of the latest McLaren or Ferrari road car with links to race teams.

One way to get a dose of F1 technology is to upgrade your car's tyres – there's no need to strap on carbon fibre wings or titanium skid plates.

Pirelli has been the official tyre supplier to Formula One since 2011. Fittingly, the Italian brand launched its new P-Zero and Dragon Sport tyres at the Shanghai Circuit a few days after the Chinese Grand Prix in April.

A range of sup[ercars were fitted with the new Pirelli P-Zero tyres. Photo: Supplied

Racing pushes technology to the limit and the technical knowledge taken from developing the tyres you see on race day has made its way to the road with the latest rubber.

Though tyres designed for the road and F1 are very different, the fundamental mechanics of grip still translate to the street.

Pirelli has applied lessons learnt in F1 to the inside of its latest tyres, which have better contact with wheel rims.

The bead area grips the wheel and helps to evenly distribute forces applied onto the tyre, improving steering response and lateral grip.

Related Content

Alexander Bregantim, Pirelli's head of research and development in the Asia Pacific, says computer modelling developed for Formula One contributed to the design of its latest P-Zero performance tyre.

"The computer analysis that we have on Formula One, we also use on the P-Zero," he says.

"We are bringing as much as possible the technology from Formula One for the P-Zero."

Following the lead set by wet weather tyres used on-track, the new P-Zero has more grooves and deeper channels to help disperse water to help grip in the wet and prevent aquaplaning.

The tyre is also designed to offer more consistent grip throughout its life cycle. It's also more efficient, with less weight and reduced rolling resistance compared to previous models.

We sampled the new P-Zero in wet conditions at the wheel of blue-chip performance cars such as the new Mercedes-AMG GT and Porsche 911 Carrera S.

Though we were escorted around the Shanghai circuit by a fairly conservative pace car, the tyres felt stable in trying conditions.

The P-Zero was originally conceived for motorsport, where it was originally named "project zero" by engineers during the development of the Lancia Delta S4 rally car.

A range of sup[ercars were fitted with the new Pirelli P-Zero tyres. Photo: Supplied

Pirelli then worked with Ferrari to develop the first road going P-Zero for the Ferrari F40 supercar. Three decades later, the rubber features on some of the most impressive cars on the planet including the Ferrari 488 GTB, Mercedes-AMG GT S and the Lamborghini Huracan.

Those cars feature bespoke tyres individually tailored for each model, a trait making its way down to more obtainable machines.

Pirelli has also launched the new mid-level Dragon Sport tyres engineered specifically for the Asia Pacific region. Sitting below the P-Zero, it is intended to offer a mid-range aftermarket option for drivers keen to balance performance and comfort.

There is some F1 tech in the new Pirelli P-Zero tyres. Photo: Supplied

A brief stint at the wheel of a Ford Focus shod with the new hoops revealed confident grip when pushing the car to its dynamic limit. Reluctant to relinquish their hold on the road, the Dragon Sports can't quite match the ultimate performance of the P-Zero, though they would be a better bet for everyday use.

Unlike F1 compounds designed to operate in a very narrow window of performance, road tyres have to put up with variable conditions, a variety of driving styles, and customers expect them to last much longer than an hour.

However with no reference tyre to test against the Dragon sport and the P-Zero, it was difficult to obtain a clear understanding of where the rubber sits against other brands, but in isolation the new Pirellis provide confidence inspiring grip on track.

While you don't need grand prix performance in everyday driving, the continuous development in motorsport certainly does benefit everyday road cars.